Diverter valve



July 2, 1940. F L m 2,206,609

DIVERTER VALVE Filed Nov. 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FELIX KLEIN BY 0 ATTORNEY y 1940- F. KLEIN 2,205,609

DIVERTER VALVE Filed Nov. 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FELM KLEIN Z /LA ATTORNEY vided with showers and whether such showers ner. Leading from the mixing chamber I8 is m for testing the water temperature before the municates with the spigot 3i]. It will be noted w 2Q packing glands or gaskets which tended to leak valve plug 34 which is carried by the valve stem 99 Patented July 2, 1940 v 2,205,609

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics Felix Klein, Philadelphia, Pa.-, assignor to Keystone Brass and Rubber Company, Phila delphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 15, 1939, SerialNo. 304,470 7 Claims. (01. 251--22) My invention relates to a new and useful 14 and It in the usual manner. The hot and cold diverter valve which is adapted to control or water from the inlets it and I2 flows into a *direct the flow to one of, two outlets, the normal c t a mixing chamber l8,and p ab y bu I pogitjon of uch valve being to keep one of said not necessarily theinlets Ill and lil and mixing Q outlets closed until it is desired to divert the chamber t8 and their adjunct disposed s? flow temporarily to the other of said outlets, bind the bathroom walltll, and the p n n the valvejbelng also adapted to return to the through which the valve stems connected to the original or normal position automatically. handles I4 and Hi project are preferably cov- By Way of example i modern bathrooms pro- Bred by the decorative plate 22 in the usual mam are of the type installed in a shower stall or the p t 215 Which Communicates With the p p whether they be combined with the bath tub, itis leading pwa d y t the shower fixture (not desirable to mix hot and cold water normally to shown), and also communicatingwith the mixfiow into the lower spigot either into the tub or me chamber H3 is the lower port 23 which com- Water is diverted to the overhead shower fixture. that the spigot 36] is threaded at 32 to that part In order to accomplish this various devices have of the fixture whic i behind the bathroom Wan been produced but such devices have been more so that it is easily removed if desired. The or less complicated and expensive and required ports fi l and 28 are alternately closed by the and required replacement or repair. Further- 36 extending downwardly a distance sufiicient to more, such devices have also been objectionable allow for the vertical reciprocation of t valve in that their operation involved the manipulaplug 34, the stem 36 being then deflected to form tion of heavy or resisting parts andit is the obthe horizontal bar 38. In order to guide t ject of my invention to produce a diverter valve valve plug 34 in its vertical reciprocation I pro- 35 for use in connection with bathroom fixtures or vide the perforated sleeve or spider it which elsewhere which is extremely simple in concommunicates through the ports M it t struction and in operation, thereby reducing the mixing chamber l8, the guide 49 in f an expense and facilitating the operation. desired construction and secured in position in 3Q The construction and operation of my novel any suitable manner since it simply serves as a 39 invention will be more clearly understood. from hearing for the vertical edge of the valve plug 33 the following specification and the accompanyto keep the latter in proper alignment. In the ing drawings in which; top of the spigot I provide the hollow boss 42 Fig. 1 represents a view partly in vertical secwhich is provided with a cap M and with the tion and partly in elevation showing the diverter inwardly extending bottom flange 4t. Passing 35 valve embodying my invention and applied to a through the hollowboss 42 is the operating stem bathroom fixture, l

Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the device 50 and the lower end of which is deflected horishown in F ZOIltally, and formed into a yoke or sleeve 52, de o Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 1 showtachably engaging the horizontal extension 38 ing the device adjusted for diverting the water of the valve stem 36. To the operating stem 43 to the shower head.

Fig. 4 represents a view similar to Fig. 1 showstep 54 and the lower flange 46 is confined the ing a modified form of construction. spring 56. As shown in Fig. 1 the spring 55,? t d Fig. 5 represents a View similar to Fig. 4 showto expand or open and thus acting on the stop 45 ing the diverter valve adjusted to direct the 54 it raises the valve stem 48 upwardly thus water to the shower fixture. also upwardly moving the vertical stem 36 and Referring to the drawings in which like referthe valve plug 34 into the position in which it ence characters indicate like parts, and particucloses the port 24 leading to the shower head. so larly with the form of invention shown in Figs. 1 This is the normal position of the parts and in "to 3, in which I have shown only as muchof this position the water will, when the valve the construction as is necessary to illustrate my handles M and 16 have been turned, flow out invention, In and I2 designate hot and cold water through the spigot 36. If it is desired to divert inlets which are controlled by usual valves (not i the water to the shower, the knob 58 of the valve. on .shownlwhich valves are operated by the handles stem 48 is depressed against the tension of the 5s.

spring 56 to bring the parts into the position shown in Fig. 3 and in which the valve plug 34 closes the lower port 28 leading to the spigot 30 thus leaving the port 24 leading to the shower open. In this position the water is diverted from the spigot 30 into the shower fixture. In order not to have to hold the knob 50 down as long as it is desired to divert the water to the shower fixture I have made the tension of the spring 56 such as to be sufficient in the absence of water pressure to raise the stem 48 and valve plug 34 into the position shown in Fig. 1, but at the same time the tension of thespring 56 is not enough to raise the valve plug 34 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 1 while water is flowing into the mixing chamber [8.

Therefore, as long as the valve handles l4 and it are in the open position to admit water to the mixing chamber l8, the water pressure plus the weight of the parts overcomes the tension of the spring 56 and the valve plug 34 will remain in the lower position shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the flow of water into the mixing chamber 18 is interrupted or cut off, the tension of the spring will bring the parts back from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 1 so that the next time the valve handles it and It are open there is no danger of the water emerging through the shower fixture but the water will flow through the spigot. It will be noted that by providing the hollow boss 42, the top of which is on a level with the top of the mixing chamber and which, in any event, is above the spigot 30, and through which the operating stem 48 is made to pass, I eliminate all necessity of packing glands or gaskets since there is no danger of leakage, whereas, if the stem manipulating the valve piston 34 were introduced and manipulated through openings disposed in other, parts of the fixture, such as is the case in some devices of this character heretofore known, it will be necessary to provide water-tight packings and gaskets which will inevitably leak and which will always require replacement and repair.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modified form of construction which, insofar as the spigot, the mixing chamber and the valve plug 34 and its function, is identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 but in which, instead of the hollow boss 42, I provide the threaded plug-fill through which is slidably mounted the operating stem 62 having the knob 64 and having an enlarged portion 66 which terminates in a pin or greatly reduced portion 68. To the vertical stem 36 of the valve plug 34 and in lieu of the horizontal extension 38 I pivot at El the lever 69 which is fulcrumed in any suitable manner as at it and which is provided with a counter-weighted endlZ. The lever $9 is also provided with an opening M which serves to guide the low-er pin or reduced portion 68 of the operating stem 62. According to this construction the counter-weight '52 serves, normally to retain the valve piston 34 in its upper position to close the port 24 and thus shut the water off fro-m the shower. When it is desired to divert the water to the shower the knob 64 is pressed down thus'depressing the lever 6 9 at the fulcrum point "Hi into the. position shown in Fig. 5 which brings the valve plug 34 to its lower position to close the port 28 leading to the spigot. In this position the Weight of the operating stem 60 and its parts 64 and B65 together with the pressure of the water in the mixing chamber !8 serves to retain the valve plug )34 in its lower position, and, when the water has been shut off from the mixing chamber l8, the counter-weight l2 automatically raises the valve plug 34 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 4. p

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A diverter valve comp-rising a valve casing having a mixing chamber formed therein, water connections leading to said mixing chamber, there being an outlet in said mixing chamber adapted to lead to a shower head and another outlet leading from said mixing chamber to a spigot, a valve plug movable in said mixing chamber to close either of said outlets, an arm for actuating said valve plug, said arm extending from said mixing chamber into said spigot,

a stem extending through an aperture in the upper side of said spigot and'coacting with said arm for actuating said valve plug, and means for normally urging said stem and said arm in one direction for maintaining said valve plug in a position normally closing one of said outlets regardless' of the presence or absence of water pressure in said mixing chamber, said means being adapted to retain said valve plug in a position to close the other of said outlets when said valve plug has been moved into said latter position inv the presence of water pressure in said mixing chamber.

2. A diverter valve comprising a valve casing having a mixing chamber formed therein, water connections leading to said mixing chamber, there being an outlet adapted to lead from said mixing chamber to a shower head and another outlet leading from said mixing chamber to a spigot, a valve plug movable in said mixing chamber to close either of. said outlets, an arm for actuating said valve plug, said arm extending from said mixing chamber into said spigot, a stem extending through an aperture on the upper side of said spigot and coacting with said arm for actuating said valve plug, and means for normally urging said stem and said arm in one direction for maintaining said valve plug in a position normally closing one of said outlets regardless of the presence or absence of water pressure in said mixing chamber, said means being adapted to retain said valve plug in a position to close the other of said outlets when said valve plug is moved into said latter position in the presence of Water pressure in said mixing chamber.

' 3. A diverter valve comprising a valve casing having a mixing chamber formed therein, water connections leading to said mixing chamber, there being an outlet in said mixing chamber adapted to lead to a shower head and another outlet leading from said mixing chamber to a spigot, a valve plug movable in said mixing chamber to close either of said outlets, an arm extending from said mixing chamber into said spigot, a stem extending through an aperture in the upper side of said spigot, said stem being separate from but coacting with said arm for actuating said valve plug, and means for normally urging said stem and said arm in one direction for maintaining said valve plug in a position normally closing one of said outlets regardless of the presence or absence of water pres sure in saicl mixing chamber, said means being adapted to retain said valve plug in a position to close the other of said outlets when said valve plug has been moved into said latter position outlet leading from said mixing chamber to a connections leading to said mixing chamber,

there being an outlet in said mixing chamber adapted to lead to a shower head and another outlet leading from said mixing chamber to a spigot, a valve plug movable in said mixing chamher to close either of said outlets, an arm for actuating said valve plug, said arm extending from said mixing chamber into said spigot, a stem extending through an aperture in the upper side of said spigot and coacting with said arm for actuating said valve plug, and means for normally urging said stem and said arm in one direction for maintaining said valve plug in a position normally closing one of said outlets regardless of the presence or absence of Water pressure in said mixing'chamber, said means being adapted to retain said valve plug in a position to close the other of said outlets when said valve plug has been moved into said latter position in the presence of water pressure in said mixing chamher, the upper end of said aperture being higher than the upper end of said mixing chamber.

5. A diverter valve comprising a valve casing having a mixing chamber formed therein, water connections leading to said mixing chamber, there being an outlet in said mixing chamber adapted to lead to a shower head and another spigot, a valve plug movable in said mixing chamher to close either of said outlets, an arm for actuating said valveplug, said arm extending from said mixing chamber into said spigot, a stem extending through an aperture in the upper side of said spigot and coasting with said arm for actuating said valve plug, and means for normal- 'ly urging said stem and said arm in one direction for maintaining said valve plug in a position normally closing one of said outlets regardless of the presence or absence of water pressure in said mixing chamber, said means being adapted to retain said valve plug in a position to close the other of said outlets when said valve plug has been moved into said latter position in the presence of water pressure in said mixing chamber,

either of said outlets,

said spigot being detachably threaded to said valve casing and .said stem being entirely separable from said arm. 1

6. A diverter valve comprising a casing having a mixing chamber formed therein, water connections leading to saidmixing chamber, there being an upper outlet adapted tolead from said mixing chamber to a shower head and a lower outlet leading from said mixing chamber to a spigot below said shower head, a valve plug movable in said mixing chamber and adapted to close said upper or said lower outlet, an arm carried by and depending from said valveplug and extending from below saidmixing chamber horizontally into the body of said spigot, a stemextending through the upper side of said spigot and having a horizontal extension detachably but operatively engaging the end of said arm, and yielding means acting on said stem for retaining said stem and said valve plug in their uppermost position normally to close said upper outlet.

7. A diverter valve comprising a casing having a mixing chamber formed therein, water connections leading to said mixing chamber, there being an upper outlet adapted to lead from said mixing chamber to a shower head, a lower outlet leading from said mixing chamber to' a spigot below said shower head, a valve plug movable in said mixing chamber and adapted to close an operating lever pivoted at one end thereof to said valve plug and iulcrumed near. the other end thereof at a point in the body of said spigot, the last mentioned end of said lever being weighted, whereby said valve plug is constantly urged to its upper position'normally to close said upper outlet, and an actuating pin extending through the upper side of said spigot and engaging said lever at a point intermediate said fulcrum point and the pivotal connection of said lever with said valve plug, whereby said lever and said valve plug may be depressed to close said lower outlet, the weight on the end of said lever being greater than the weight of said valve plug but less than the force exerted by the water pressure in said mixing chamber.

FELIX KLEIN. 

